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Introduction House of Representatives The Senate Making Laws The Veto

  

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Books & Reading

Books & Reading

What is the role of the Internet in our legislative process?

The House of Representatives is a diverse body of individuals. There have been a few "celebrity" Members of the House throughout the course of its history. Can you cite a few examples and some brief background on them?

How and when did the House cap it’s membership to 435 and has there ever been an instance when the House had more than 435 Members and why? 

Does the Speaker of the House need to be a Member of the House? If not, has there ever been a Speaker who was not a Representative?


Kids in the House


House of Representatives The Senate Making Laws The Veto

House of Representatives

Composition of the House of Representatives
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/houseofrep/compositionhouse.htm
Watch this video to learn how the number of representatives in the House is determined and where the lines are drawn.  This video is a professionally made video and has slides and narration.

Congressional Districts: 109th Congress - Worksheet
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/
houseofrep/congdistricts.htm
Learn more about gerrymandering and how it relates to the reapportionment and redistricting of congressional seats by completing the printable worksheet and using printable maps of the congressional districts - 109th Congress.

Congressional Lingo
http://www.funtrivia.com/search2_act.cfm_QN_type=
Quizzes_AND_searchstring=congress
If you want to sound like a political insider, you have to learn the lingo.

Government Puzzle
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/
3branches/25.htm
Crossword puzzle

The House of Representatives
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/
3branches/14.htm
Read "The House of Representatives" and complete the questions as individuals or partners using the suggested Web sites.

How a Bill Becomes a Law http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/
3branches/15c.htm
Information and tasks about how both parts of the legislative branch are involved in the lawmaking process

Knowing About Congress
http://www.flashcardexchange.com/flashcards/view/216306
Find out how much you already know about Congress, or learn as you go, using the online flashcards that you can flip through, print in a variety of formats with custom fonts and font sizes.

The Legislative Branch
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/
3branches/9.htm
Read "The Legislative Branch" and complete the tasks as individuals or partners using the suggested web sites.

Political Participation and Voting: Expressing the Popular Will
http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/polisci/patterson/
olc/stu/graphics/xwords/xword07.html
Crossword Puzzle

Political Participation and Voting: Expressing the Popular Will
http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/polisci/patterson/
olc/stu/graphics/sims/sim07.htm
Redistricting simulation

Political Participation and Voting: Expressing the Popular Will
http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/polisci/patterson/
olc/stu/sa07.htm
Self-assessment multiple-choice and true/false quizzes

That’s My Congress, 1st Edition 2010 Card Game
http://thatsmycongress.com/index.php/card-game/
A political card game in which players attempt to win control of a fantasy U.S. House of Representatives.  Players put current members of Congress literally in the palms of their hands as they compete to advance their political agendas and establish strategic advantage. That’s My Congress is a new and unique game for hardcore political junkies, students of politics, fans of strategic games, and intelligent people who know how to mix their fun with a bit of learning.

Worksheet -- The Legislative Branch
http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/
3branches/10.htm
Print off the "The Legislative Branch" worksheet and fill in the blanks in the sentences.

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In 1866, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the first woman to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, even though she was not eligible to vote. She ran as an Independent from New York State, receiving 24 votes of 12,000 that were cast.

Surf with Uncle Sam
Surf with Uncle Sam

Word Spy
Word Spy

Projects You Can Do

Gather a group of friends or classmates. Choose one friend or classmate to be the President and separate him or her from the group of your friends or classmates. Give that friend or classmate the sign that says "President." Choose another friend or classmate to be the bill and stick a post-it note that says "bill" on him or her. Divide the remainder of your friends or classmates into two groups, one larger group (give that group the "House" sign) and a proportionately smaller group (give that group the "Senate" sign). You will also be creating subgroups for the committees, either up front or after the bill is introduced.

Walk (literally make "the bill" friend or classmate walk) through the process of becoming a law. It may be helpful to use a current real-life example. Demonstrate the process of the bill being introduced, going through a committee, passing one House, going to the next House, committee, and then to the President. Explain the actions the President can take.

Redo the process, but this time change the bill in the first House (i.e. take off a shoe or something) and explain how a joint committee works. In this scenario, have your friends or classmates from both the House and the Senate gather for a few moments to emphasize the joint committee.

 

Awards

 

The Dirksen Congressional CenterCopyright 2008